Soli Deo Gloria: A Beautiful Offering
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Doxology,KenThomas,1674
The word doxology comes from two Greek words that together mean, “speaking glory” (Online Etymology Dictionary) A doxology is a way we often close Christian services to give specific, spoken glory and acknowledgment to God Dr Ken Easley, a former Biblical Studies Professor at Union University, once stated that “when we experience something or someone good or true or beautiful, we can’t help but offer admiration and appreciation It’s built into the nature of who we are We naturally overflow with expressions of praise” (Christianity.com).
The above doxology comes to mind as we edge closer to closing out the calendar year at Providence. All praise and glory are given by us to God Almighty who has graciously guided us through many changes this school year and kept our feet to the ancient paths All that is good, true and beautiful at Providence is credit to Him and Him alone
s much that is good! As I walk down our hallways, I hear students across our campus opening their day in prayer, pledge and recitation Kindergarteners are stringing words together and reading sentences on their own. Second graders are practicing their math triplets Fourth graders are studying Roman heroes that I also hear being discussed in greater detail in eighth grade Sixth graders are finishing memorizing Horatius while also revisiting primary school manners of the week like, “Look people in the eyes when you speak to them.”
I’ve seen seventh graders coming back to the main building to take out the trash for our lower school teachers Tenth graders are being asked to apply their anatomy lesson on muscles to a workout routine House leaders are taking charge of their meetings and planning events, while the Optios are encouraging camaraderie. Seniors are being accepted to excellent institutions of higher learning and looking forward to the years ahead, while still taking time to talk at the lockers with younger students Our nurses are providing individualized attention and care for each student that visits their station. I hear teachers across our campus confidently and cheerfully teaching material and asking colleagues questions to hone their craft I see parents being greeted happily together to provide faculty and families or What a beautiful offering to God of our best f
Let me also give you a peek behind the administration has been working We have year strategic plan, including a correspondin help guide and shape our focus as we work can continue to provide a beautiful, classica invite you to join me, the administration a January 27 at 6:30pm as we present these pl our partners in education. It’s a night you wo you, and together we praise God from Whom
Classical Christian Education:
More than a Diploma
Students who are given the gift of a K-12 classical Christian education especially those whose parents understand the significant, lifelong value to their child graduating from a classical Christian school are more prepared academically, traditional in their views, think more independently, and are more influential than those from other school backgrounds, including Christian, secular preparatory, and homeschool, according to Good Soil, a study conducted by the Association of Classical Christian Schools
I believe these positive life outcomes are a result of the cultivation of wisdom and virtue that is central to the mission of a classical Christian school, including Providence While earning a college degree and landing a high paying job are often the goals of many students (and their parents), the classical Christian school is far more concerned with the cultivation of wisdom and virtue, necessary for the child’s relationship with God and for the freedom of their mind and soul This, I would argue, is the paramount reason to keep a student at a classical Christian school through graduation After all, the evidence of collegiate readiness among classically trained students is clear: they are well prepared for college, earn As (or mostly As) in college, and go on to earn a BA or higher in college (GoodSoil)
Furthermore, it is important to keep a student at a classical Christian school, and specifically at Providence, for the entirety of their K-12 education so their wisdom and virtue can be
Welcome the Johnson Family
Welcome the Johnson Family! Ernest and Myriam Johnson and their three children, 7th grader Ethan, 5th grader Bella, and 3rd grader RolenskymovedfromLongIsland,N Y toRockHill11yearsago
The family heard of Providence from a church family whose “positive experiencewiththeschoolstuckwiththem ”TheJohnsonare“thrilled to be part of the Providence family!” The family especially loves “the school's commitment to Christian principles, which aligns with the foundation [they] strive to build at home ” The parents also like the small setting where their children can be part of a community They said, “Everyone has been incredibly welcoming, and we’ve already met so many wonderful families who went out of their way to make ourchildrenfeelwelcome ”
The Johnsons love family moments Myrian said, “I cherish coming together at the end of each day to share stories and reflect on how things went for everyone It’s a small but meaningful way to stay connectedamidstbusyschedules ”
The Johnsons enjoy traveling as a family and actively participate in their children’s activities, which include club soccer and competitive swimming
cultivated When examining the other educational options around us, virtue and wisdom are antithetical to public schools; objective and explicitly biblical wisdom and virtue are not permissible at charter schools; and the relationship of these two within the life of the student at a non-classical Christian school can warrant its own essay
The work we do at Providence, as well as the work at other classical Christian schools, requires the entirety of students’ K-12 time To leave during the high school (Rhetoric) level would undermine, hamper, and/or stunt the development of students’ virtue and wisdom Keeping them at Providence or at any classical Christian school will intentionally prepare them to experience the joy that living a wise and virtuous life will bring, and to cut short that preparation can have lasting negative effects on their character.
In conclusion, Dante, in Purgatorio, is told “This mountain is so formed that it is always wearisome when one begins the ascent but becomes easier the higher one climbs ” Likewise, in classical Christian education, students’ climbs to the finish line, strenuous as it may be, will get easier as they go through the stages of classical education Likewise, they’ll find their life though sprinkled with hardship, suffering, and various difficulties will be made easier in the joy that is achieved through the wisdom and virtue they will acquire throughout their classical Christian education journey.
Mr. Jacob D. Stiling Upper School Teacher
Bella
Rolensky
SPOTLIGHTTeacher
Mrs.JenniferCrotts,originallyaTexasnative,minoredinArtandearnedherBachelor ofArtsinTheaterattheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatPembrokeandlaterreceivedher MS in Education from Missouri State University. Mrs. Crotts and her family relocated fromMemphistoFortMillinSeptemberof2023
Theyhaveoneson,Griffin,aseventhgraderatProvidence BeforeenrollingGriffinand pursuingacareeratPCS,Mrs CrottsaskedGodtoshowherwheretheybothbelonged Shestated,“WhenIsurrenderedmypersonalexpectations,Godfarexceededeverything I could have dreamed We were immediately welcomed into the Providence community…Ifeelsupportedasateacherbymystudents'parents,mycoworkers,and ouradministrationinwaysIhaveneverexperiencedbefore ” ItwasclearfromthebeginningthatGodwascallingMrs.Crottstoworkwithchildren. Because of her own personal difficulties as a student and the wonderful teachers that helped her overcome her challenges, she feels that she has “a unique perspective that helps [her] to reach and understand struggling students and that God has used [her] strugglesforHispurposes.”
Mrs Crotts began her career at a classical school in Springfield, Missouri: “From that first year I realized how special classical education is Throughout my teaching experience I have always desired to teach in a classical school The thing I appreciate mostabouttheclassicalChristiancurriculumatProvidenceisthatGodasCreatoristhe cornerstoneofeachpieceofthecurriculum ”
Shehastaughtallelementarygradesexceptforfourththroughoutherteachingcareer. Mrs Crotts currently teaches kindergarten at Providence where she loves seeing students grow and mature throughout the year. She says, “A transformation happens thatIhavenotexperiencedinothergradesIhavetaught Atsomepointinlatewinteror earlyspringIamnearlybroughttotearswhenIstepbackandseehowfartheLordhas brought this group of students from the first few weeks of school to students who are reading, writing, communicating, and ready for first grade It is a gift to watch God workintheirlives ”
Knitting & Crocheting Club
Providence Classical students have eclectic interests, and nothing demonstrates this diversity better than the nine after-school clubs. We have a club for everyone: Chess, Creative Writing and Newspaper, Debate, Disc Golf, Grammar School Choir, Knitting and Crochet, Pickleball,Yearbook,andUpperSchoolBibleStudy
This week we are highlighting one of the most popular clubs on campus This is the second year for the Knitting and Crochet club Addison Wall teaches knitting and Tara Bryant crochet. Members range from second graders to twelfth graders. Bryant says, “Some [students] pop in and out between athletic seasons and other clubs, so [members] vary from meeting to meeting ” Mrs Wall and Mrs Byrant love teaching While several advanced students take both, they encourage beginners to choose one or the other of the two needleworks Knitting and Crochet Club is held on thefirstandthirdThursdaysofthemonth
Mrs Jennifer Crotts | Kindergarten Teacher
Gracie Slate (7th), Jacob Wood (12th), Addison Wall (9th) Bella Johnson (5th), Payton Wentzel (3rd), Gabby Raba (6th), Anna Wall (7th), Reagan Conley (4th), Caroline McKelvey (4th)
Gracie Slate (7th) helps Payton Wentzel (3rd) with knitting
Parent Club Teacher Tara Bryant shows Bella Johnson (5th) the crochet slip know
Simply Providence Welcomes
Jett Buskirk and Dayna Johnston
Kathy Eiff Director of Simply Providence
Simply Providence is delighted to welcome Mrs. Buskirk and Mrs.Johnstontoitsfaculty.
In October, Mrs Jett Buskirk joined the team as a part-time lead Mrs Jett works on the Simply Providence campus in the afternoons and teaches art classes on Fridays during Integration Through the Arts She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from High Point University and a master’s degree in teaching from Winthrop University She joins the team with ten years of teaching experience in the public schools and five years teaching homeschool art classes Mrs Jett's passion for the past eleven years has been working with and teaching students with special needs at the Joni and Friends Family Retreats in North Carolina She and her husband have been married for 23 years and have onesonwhoisafreshmanincollege
InNovember,Mrs DaynaJohnstonjoinedtheteamasapart-timeAssistantTeacher Mrs Johnston’sprofessionalbackgroundisinhuman resourcesalthoughshehasfouryearsofexperienceasahomeschoolingmomandtwoyearsofexperienceasafourthgradeassistantteacher Shehasservedinchildren’sministryforoverfifteenyears,thelastthreesupportingchildrenwithintellectualanddevelopmentaldisabilities Mrs. Johnston and her husband have been married for 19 years and have one daughter, Kathryn, who became a Paladin at Providence in August.Kathrynisinthe8thgradeandisoneofournewestProvidencePals,aprogramforProvidenceClassicalSchoolstudentstodevelop meaningfulrelationshipswithSimplyProvidencestudentsthroughfieldtrips,extra-curricularactivitiesandannualevents
T hanwemightaskorimagine"atSimplyProvidence(Ephesians3:20)
Making Connections: Fall Festivities
Providence participated in two fall festivals during the month of October The first, Baxter Village Fall Festival, was in Fort Mill on October 12 The second was in partnership with EastsideBaptistChurchhereinRockHillonOctober26
SeveralProvidencestudentsvolunteeredanddroppedbytosupportourschoolbooth,staffed by Dee Bridges, Ellen Kiehn, Lauren Koch, Amanda Patterson, Gina Sibrans and Adrian Swain.
To help draw in young families, the booth had a prize wheel that children could spin. Families were given Providence informational packets and invited to tour the school Director of Admissions Dee Bridges said, “We had several good conversations with families who were interested to learn more ” These events were so successful that Bridges commented,“Wehopetoattendotherfestivalsinthefuture,specifictoourtargetareaslike RockHill,FortMill,Lancaster,Clover,andLakeWylie
Mrs Jett Buskirk describes the beauty of a maple leaf
Mrs Dayna Johnston assists during art time
Director of Admissions Dee Bridges, Interim Head of School Adrian Swain, and Director of Advancement Lauren Koch
Providence Classical School’s Festival Booth
Academic Advisor and Events, Amanda Patterson looks on as Office Manager and Art Teacher Gina Sibrans helps prospective students spin the prize wheel
Second graders Harper Mayo and Elouise Bean support PCS at Eastside Baptist Festival
Josie Faulk, Third Grader, spreads her wings at Eastside
Strong & Courageous
The Paladins Varsity Volleyball team is more than just a group of players. They are family. This season, the close-knit team was led by head coachMelissaWyattandassistantcoachDestinyWesttofinishthirdintheCSAADivision2league.
The three co-captains, seniors Adah Lambert and Elizabeth Rahalewicz and junior Anna Roberson, were major supporters of the team who were so thankful to be a part of this volleyball family. Lambert, who led the team in kills this season, said she is so “thankful to have such an amazing team… [that] makes the sport so enjoyable.” Co-caption Roberson agreed: “I love working together as a team.” One of the best team encouragers, Rahalewicz, stated, “In volleyball it is hard to keep your momentum when you are already flustered, so encouraging your teammatesiskeyinthesport.Asateamaftereveryplay,wecometogetherandencourageoneanother.”
However, it is the coaches who players credit the most for the family dynamics Rahalewicz stated, “They have put in countless amounts of hard work They constantly encourage us to play the game they know we know how to play It does not always look pretty, but having the supportsystemthattheygiveusisoneofthereasonswearetheteamthatweare ”
The coaches not only kept the team focused on the game, but more importantly constantly reminded the players of the bigger picture by starting each game with Joshua 1:9 : “Be strong and courageous Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you whereveryougo ”
Recently the team has come together to support their beloved Coach Wyatt, who is battling breast cancer The team’s love and prayers go out toherandhusband,fifthgradeteacherMichaelWyatt
Senior
Senior Adah Lambert
Night
and Anna Roberson; Coach Wyatt, and Coach Destiny West
Senior Elizabeth Kiehn
Senior Maya Loose
Seniors Adah Lambert, Maya Loose, and Elizabeth Kiehn set up the play
The Varsity Team play hard and cheer on one another even harder!
Cross Country State Champion
Sophomore Nick LaSala is serious about his sport, cross country Nick, who is in his third year running, trains several times a week He said he starts “mostly with easy running and then a couple faster speed sessions per week as well as some cross training and two strength-training sessions per week ”
Nick usually races in 5k for cross country, and 1600m and 3200m for track His personal record is 17:49 for the 5K Graham Blanks, a cross country and track runner for Harvard, “is one of the biggest influences” in his love of cross country
When asked about his State Championship win, Nick said, “It was a challenging course mostly on trails The leading pack went out much faster than at Conference I was in 3rd until around the two mile marker where I realized I needed to start picking up the pace if I wanted to win. I slowly gained first place and won the sprint finish at the end.”
In the Long Run
Coaches Matt Thomas, Caleb Thompson, and Heather LaSala helpedthisyear’sCrossCountryteamsfinishoneoftheirstrongest seasons MS Girls placed second in the Conference while high school placed second in Conference and State Andrew Thomas (6th) and Olivia Kiehn (7th) were MS All-Conference Runners, and freshman Micah Thompson, sophomores Nick Lasala and Reagan Swain, and senior Malachi Thompson were HS All-Conference Runners
All-ConferenceRunnerOliviaKiehnsaidthatthemostchallenging part of Cross Country was “Not only training your body, but also your mind to endure the pain and hardship that comes with running ”
Though the teams play hard to win, they know from where their strength comes. First-year runner seventh grader, Eden Byrant said,“EveryonehasbeengivenagiftbyGodwhetheritberunning, singing painting for me and this team it is running … God was ussowhyshouldn'tweuseitto
Sophomore Nick LaSala
Big winners brothers Malachi (9th) and Micah (12th) and sophomore Nick LaSala
Sophomore JD Kiehn runs at McAlpin trail
Well-deserving middle school winners: Lela Swain, Olivia Kiehn, Eden Bryant, and Addie Russo
Olivia Kiehn (7th) revs up for the run
Coach Heather LaSala at the end of year team party
REMINDERS & UPCOMING EVENTS
OPEN
Cebra’s
Corner
DECEMBER
JUNIOR
ADESTE FIDELES Thursday, December 19 | 6:30 pm
CHRISTMAS
Friday, December 20
MIDTERM PROGRESS REPORTS Friday, January 10
CHAPEL Tuesday, January 21
PROVIDENCE VISION
Monday, January 27 | 6:30 pm
Striving for Excellence
In my reading, during conversations with other classical Christian school educators, and in my interactions with students here at Providence, I have found that there is a perception that only in perfection can a student find success within the classical Christianschoolmodel Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth Ibelievethedrivefor perfectionismisguidedandthatstrivingforexcellenceoughttobetherealgoal
The pursuit of perfection receives worldly praise from man It leaves no room for growth, and it focuses the student on the perfect grade and the praise that often follows Too many times I have seen students all the way from the primary school grades through upper school shed disheartened tears at great grades, all because these grades weren’t the 100% they felt the pressure to get Pressure to achieve the perfect grade has made the focus on the grade, not the knowledge acquired, nor the effortandperseverancethatcomeswiththegradeearnedfromareasonableamountof study.
Idonotwantourstudentstomissoutonthingsthatbringjoyinlifebecausetheyfeel the pressure to achieve perfection Studying an extraordinary number of hours, far beyondwhatthebalancedlifeofastudentwouldrequire,forgoesthejoysofabalanced childhood, leading to an undue amount of stress, anxiety, and pressure This is certainlynotthegoalofclassicalChristianeducation.
The goal of educating the student in the classical Christian school is found in the pursuit of excellence, the process of learning how to think, growing in knowledge and wisdom drawing the classical Christian student closer to Christ through trials and triumphs Through this process, the seeker of excellence receives Godly praises, not thosesoughtfromman.
I would encourage all to seek the well-rounded life, the life of the curious and happy scholar who gives his or her best, knowing that the life of a great scholar and child of God must be lived in joy and not burdened by stress in seeking perfection over excellence May our students be lifelong learners, continually seeking to improve themselves and their surroundings for good, true, and, beautiful reasons anchored in thetruthofscriptureandallforGod’sglory
IinviteyoutojoinmeasweexplorethistopicmoreinourWinterConference,January 10-11entitled